Car-coupling device.



PATENTE'D JAN. 2, 1906. E. GRAFSTROM, DBCD. D. B. GEAI STROM,ADMINISTRATRIX. OAR COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ'I. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. E. GRAFST ROM, DE GFD1 D. B.emrsmom, ADMINISTRATRIX.

GAR COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 27.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nmiimnu llllli fizvengait' @W UNITED PATENT OFFIOE,

I EDl/VARD GRAFSTROM, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS; DOROTHY BEACH GRAFSTROM ADMINISTRATRIX OF, SAID EDWARD GRAFSTROM,

DECEASED.

CAR-COUPLlNG DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed May 27, 1903. Serial No. 158,922.

To all; whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD GRAFs'rRoM, a

, subject of the King of Sweden and Norway,

residing at Topeka, in the State of Kansas, have invented a certain newand useful Car- Coupling Device, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates especially to the means for coupling cars toengines, and to means for operating the coupling device from the outsideof the car and for swinging the coupler out of the way when not in use.The objects of my invention are, to avoid the danger and inconvenienceof having a coupling head projecting from the front of a car or enginewhen not in use; to avoid the danger of the brakeman going between thecars or between the engine and car in the act of manipulating thecoupler; to mount the mechanism for operating the lock upon the head insuch a way that it cannot be manipulated when the head is not in place;to provide a pivoted car coupling bar, to provide a safe and accuratelocking means for the coupler head, and to generally improve theconstruction and operation of the means for coupling an engine to a car.The above objects, together with other advantages which will hereinafterappear, I attain by means of the mechanism illustrated in preferredforms in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view ofthe pilot and cow catcher on the front of an engine and of my couplingdevice mounted thereon, showing in full lines and in dotted linesrespectively, the two positions of the coupling head and pivoted bar.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the coupling devices and a centralsection through thecow catcher and front end beam of the engine.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the lever arms for operatingthe locking mechanism.

The many dangers resulting to the brakeman and others occupied inrailroad work in coupling cars or rather from going between the cars tocouple or uncouple the same has led to legislation requiring means formanipu lating the coupling devices from the outside without goingbetween the cars. It is also highly desirableif not necessary, for thecoupling head itself to be capable of being swung out of operativeposition when not in use; in

order to combine these two features and to improve the coupling devicegenerally I haveprovided. as illustrated in the drawings, a

coupling bar made in two parts of which the forwardly extending partcarrying the coupling head itself is pivoted to the other and may beswung sidewise out of position when not in use.

The cross abutment beam at of the engine to which the car coupling baris generally attached may be of any desired form; and upon this I placethe bracket extension 6 which at its forward end through a pivot A;carries the swinging member 0 of the coupler, having integral with itthe coupling head (Z which may be of the ordinary Master Oar Builderstype having a pivoted knuckle e to cooperate with a like coupler headupon the other car or another engine. As is well known this type ofcoupler head has a knuckle which when pushed into the position shown inFigure 1 is generally locked by the falling of a key behind the tail ofthe knuckle. A locking pin is illustrated at f; and in order to raisethis locking pin f out of place to allow the finger e to open anduncouple the cars I provide for lifting the pin f out of place by thelever it which is pivoted upon the part 0 and has its tail end embracedby the bifurcated head m of the lever Z, which extends out to the sideline of the engine and cars and there has a handle n for manipulatingthe same.

When the heads are uncoupled and the coupling bar therefor is notdesired in the position shown it may be swung around as is illustratedin dotted lines in Figure 1 when it will be out of the way and in thisposition it will be noted that the lever h is disengaged from the headon of the lever Z. This construction is not necessary however, since itis evident that the head m may be so arranged as to avoid disengagementof the two when the head is swung out of operative position. The pivotedportion of the coupler bar, 0, may be provided with an abutment whichengages a similar abutment 9" upon the stationary part b so as to holdthe coupler firmly in proper position in alinement with the engine whenin operating order.

It will of course be understood that it is not essential to my inventionthat the locking mechanism of the coupler head be of any particularform, nor is the position of the pivotreadily occur to those familiarwith the use thereof.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. The combination with a coupler bar having a hinged extension carryinga locking coupler, of a lever mounted upon said extension for operatingthe coupler lock, and a sec ond lever attached to the body of the car orengine for operating said first mentioned manipulating lever fromoutside the car line.

2. The combination with a pivoted coupler bar, of a pair of levers oneof which is borne on the pivoted bar and one of which is borne on thecar and designed to cooperate with the pivoted coupler bar when it is inalinement and to be out of operative position when the same is foldedagainst the car body, substantially as described.

3. In a car coupler the combination with a coupler head and an extensioncarrying the same mounted pivotally to swing sidewise out of operativeposition, a coupler lock operating mechanism carried on said swinginghead, and means for operating said locking mechanism from outside thecar comprising levers which are in an engagement when the extension isin operative alinement with the car and is out of engagement when thesaid coupler head is swung sidewise out of position.

4:. The combination with a coupler head extension pivoted to swingsidewise out of operative position, an automatic coupler and a couplerlock thereon, a lever mounted on the swinging extension, a lever mountedon the car and provided with a fork engaging the first mentioned leverto operate the coupler lock, said connection of the two levers beingadapted to engage when the coupler bar is in alinement and to disengagewhen it is swung sidewise out of position.

5. The combination with a pivoted extension coupler bar having a couplerlock operating mechanism thereon, of an actuating lever on the extensionand an operating lever on the car provided with a forked end looselyengaging said lever onthe extension, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunder signed my name in the presence ofthe two subscribed witnesses.

EDWARD GRAFSTROM.

WVitnesses:

J. M. RUTER, C. J. MOORE.

